I glanced at Jack, worried about how he'd take the idea of shifters being used as lab rats. But he was nodding. "Yes, I've donated blood to studies like that over the years. If successful, it could make a world of difference to soldiers and people who lose body parts in car accidents."
"Or to cancer," Uncle Mike said thoughtfully, his keen engineering mind clearly at work. "I like the idea, in the abstract, but how will they screen for the actual properties in the blood that make you shifters? I mean, if she gets donated DNA to regrow her finger, does she turn furry at the full moon? No offense, Jack, but I can't imagine everybody would be up for that."
Jack, sitting next to me, shrugged. "I'm not offended. You're right. But since I'm pretty sure that much of what makes us shifters is actually magic, I'm not sure how it would work. I'm a soldier, not a scientist."
"You're a private investigator," I reminded him. He took my hand in his and raised it to his lips and kissed my fingers, completely ignoring everybody's sudden stares.
"Tess?" Aunt Ruby's eyes lit up.
"Jack," I said sternly.
He laughed. "Okay, okay. No, everyone, we have no immediate plans to get married."
Had there been an emphasis on the word "immediate"?
Oh, boy.
I changed the subject. "There are other problems with the shifter DNA thing, too. What if she turns furry? What if she has a cat allergy? Can you be allergic to yourself?"
"I'm allergic to your boyfriend," Uncle Mike muttered.
Dallas laughed. "Will she suddenly develop a catnip addiction?"
"Ooh!" Mellie grinned. "Or chase the laser pointer at work meetings?"
"It could be wolf or other shifter DNA," Uncle Mike pointed out. "So she'd beloyalandtrue.”
Jack rolled his eyes. "Or start humping legs."
Luckily, Shelley picked that moment to burst back out the door. "Trina called! Her mom invited me to go to the festival with them and eat lunch and go see her new puppies! Can I? Can I? Can I, pleeeeeeeease?"
Aunt Ruby jumped up. "Yes, I'll take you—"
"I'm going right by their house on my way home," Mellie said. "I can drop her off, if you like."
"That would be great, Mellie. Aunt Ruby would really prefer to hang out here and talk to her family, wouldn't you, Aunt Ruby?" I pinned my aunt with a hard stare.
She bit her lip and sat back down. "Yes, I… I guess. Thanks, Mellie. Yes, Shelley, you can go if your homework is already done."
"It IS, it IS, Aunt Ruby!" Shelley bounced back into the house, talking a mile a minute on her cell phone, which I'd insisted she have when she came to live with us. I'd normally think a cell phone for a nine-year-old would be ridiculous, but after what she'd been through, I wanted the security—for her and for us—of her having a way to contact us at all times. I'd put her on my plan and we'd picked out the sparkly pink case together. And then Uncle Mike had set up the parental controls. Shelley was a great kid, but the internet was a cesspool, and we didn't want her accidentally stumbling across anything awful.
"She never once mentioned going to England," I said. I explained to Dallas and Mellie about how Shelley had been very excited about the possibility of going to live with her uncle and his family overseas. We were supposed to meet with them this evening to discuss it.
"Once I explained to her that no, you and I and Ruby would not be going with her, or Bonnie Jo either, she lost her enthusiasm for it. She asked if she could stay with us," Uncle Mike said. "Of course, we said yes. She's ours, now."
Maybe, but… "Do you think we'll have any problem with her uncle?"
"Actually, I've already talked to them," Aunt Ruby said. "I explained that we've legally adopted her and, though we'd love for her to see them at holidays and summers, she would live with us. He didn't argue. I had the feeling he and his wife are already busy enough with five kids and only offered out of the goodness of their hearts, but they asked around about us and know we're good people."
"Thank goodness. I'd hate to see her leave," I said.
Mellie put her fork down. "Speaking of leaving, this has been absolutely wonderful, but I admit I'm still a little tired. I think I'm going to head out now. Can I help clean up first, Tess?"
Lorraine and Aunt Ruby both gave Mellie approving glances. As Aunt Ruby had taught me, a true Southern woman could be on her deathbed and she'd still offer to help clean up after a party.
"Absolutely not," Jack said. "You go home and rest."
"He loves washing dishes," I told Mellie. "Something about tigers and water, I think."
